Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-07-14
HscYicnn Cookery.
Correspondence ofthc Alexandria Gazctte,l
Crr,,- az, NTpvrco TuIv q 1SS

JOr.lliAS constitute the mOSH popular
nread OF the people These are corn cakes
made of water and dough only. The dough
is made by soaking the corn in lime water
until the huil comes off; then the corn is
ground by hand with rolling pin on fiat
rock The cake is I,atted out by hand and
baked over charcoal fires, after which din
ner is ready, as many of The poor people
eat little else For variety the tortilla is
sprinkled over with ground green pepper,
clabber cheese, salt, chopped lettuce, pota-
toes and some fruit then rolled up anu
fried in lard and then we have "enchiladas, :"
a popular delicacy of the people. Next &
small oa. Of broad is cut in two and each
side is sprinkIed with salt, pepper, vinegar,
olive oil, cheese, fruit and vegetables then
we have "tarta compuesta" for feast. Next
corn meal dough mixed with meat, red pep
per- salt, oil and other condiments, and the
whole boiled in corn shucks then we have
"tamales, the dumplng of the country.
flashed meat, served in thick redpeppor
stew, is served up as 'chile.con carne." The
first time we took this il gave us vivid rec
objections OF our first Of April candy-cay-
enne-pepper pills but in time tho stranger
learns to go.it like o 'greaser." Cbi!e-rel-
leno is made by filing a large red pepper
pod with cheese and vegetable hash and
wrapping the whole in Il coat oftlour dough.
They are cooked as dumplngs and eaten
whole as roast apple, holding 1t IN the
hand by the stem end. The average Mexi-
can counts this one of the good things of the
kitchen. "Fideos" is macarroni and rice
l. oh; 10 tECorna ynnoha 10 ~
is made of stewed hash, red pepper, cab
bage, turnips and carrots, and served with
vinegar and olive oil "Albondgas" is
made of cold hash, green pepper, vegetables,
fruits. cheese and the whole highly seasoned
with vinegar, spice, salt and castor or olive
oil. mole de ualolote" is roast turkey
served in thick red pepper sauce, with top
dressing of olive oil, mixed with mince. meat
and mustard. This is found in the five and
ten dollar dinners of Mexico. The "puch-
eros" are various dishes of meat and vege
tables. with the full amount of pepper, salts
and spices. "Einseloda dc noche buena" is
salad made and eaten only on Christmas
night, and is composed OF ali kinds of fruit
and vegetables in the market also the
meats cooked, dried and hashed up with
cake, cheese, spices, oils, candies, sugars,
and sprinked over with $ mixture of the
popular drinks; then tis ready for use. You
know Christmas only comes once Il year,
and Of everything this salad has a share.
"Cabrito" is young kid that is killed be.
fore it is old enough to eat grass. The hide
and feet are taken OIL and is roasted whole
with all its internal organs and is so served
and eaten at the table.
While travelling in the State Of Nneya
Leon, we received the honor OF being an ir-
vited guest TO select dinner where mum
Der of State officials were present. The
| cabrito was one of the many dishes on the
| table, and il fell OH us TO do the carving ;
thus we are enabled to give our readers the
| benefit of our first lesson 10 the comparative
anetomy of kid after il is cooked. The
bieotes are the desserts, and consists of
friloles (beansD, coffee, chocolate, tropical
fruits, with lime Juice, sliced pineapple with
sugar, banana and pulque, with stewed
fruits
The popular driaks are pulque, the juice
of the century plant, in either sweet or
lermented state. Ii is also mixed with the
Juice of the pineapple, the orange, the lime
and the wild tuna (cactus fruit. All kinds
of drinks, especially tho pulque is handled
in goat skin bags and often in leather bot
ties, and in sections OF entrails tied al The
ends rs sausage Orchata is tho product of
ground watermelon seed soaked in water,
with sugar and lime juice to suit the taste.
After standing q few hours it is strained oil
and ia ready for use, and sells at from one
to three cents per glass. CHA is sweetened
water. favored with an aromatic seed, and
is sold at the same price. Besides these,
lemon and orsngeade, the juice OF the
pineapple anG the tuna, with ice cream and
soda water are in Use every day in the year.
These are the chief drinks of the people,
and by many are considered wholesome.
There are many strong drinks which tue
Mexicans, as s. nation, use to excess. The
water is bad, and in the hot lands is unit
for use before being boiled and filtered.
Thus, the stranger soon learns to take cof-
fee and chocolate in place of water; yet to
be deprived Of clear, cool water, and be
compelled to eat the hashes of the city ho'
tels and the country iacals, and ab.tain
from fruits because of fevers, is enough at
times to make the life OF an American al
most miserable. But for him who has the
happy faculty Of adapting himself TO his
surroundings, there will be in store always
more sunshine than shadow. And Mexico
is not an exception to the rule.
RAMBLER